Rovanpera to contest Swedish Rally

The 33-year-old and co-driver Risto Pietilainen will drive the SEAT Sport-entered Cordoba WRC E2 for the only snow rally in the World Championship.

Rovanpera's car will be built and prepared for the Karlstad-based event at SEAT Sport's headquarters in Barcelona, and will be run in Sweden by the Spanish team, with additional outside support.

The Finn has contested the event twice before, once in a two-wheel drive SEAT Ibiza Kit car in 1998, and once in a four-wheel-drive SEAT Cordoba WRC [1999].

He said: "The Swedish Rally will be my first event in 2000, and my first since I finished third on last November's Rally of Great Britain, so I am really looking forward to it.

"We won't have much time to test, but I know the SEAT Cordoba well and I know that the car has improved a lot in recent months. I have a very good feeling about the Swedish Rally and my plan is to drive flat-out from the start of the event."

As on all rounds of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship, Auriol and Gardemeister will be the two drivers nominated to score Manufacturer Championship points for SEAT on the Swedish Rally.